Witterings late pharmacy plan opposed by residents

CONTROVERSIAL plans for a late-night pharmacy in the Witterings have been met with nearly 200 objections.

The Witterings Medical Centre submitted plans to Chichester District Council to open a 100-hour pharmacy as part of an extension of the surgery.

This means the pharmacy would open until 11pm from Monday to Saturday.

But two parish councils and residents have strongly objected to the plans on the grounds there are already two pharmacies in the village and it could lead to disturbance in the evenings.

At their recent planning meeting, East Wittering and Bracklesham parish councillors said a third pharmacy would be ‘unnecessary and undesirable’. Earnley Parish Council also lodged an objection to the application.

The Medical Centre has distributed a response letter to residents expressing concern ‘misinformation’ may have been circulating in the village.

The letter, now posted on the district council’s planning website, points out planning permission for the new extension was granted last year and there were no objections at the time.

Addressing concerns raised in the objections, the letter reads: “We see no reason why people why people from outside our catchment area would travel to the Witterings when similar services already exist in Chichester.

“The planning permission for a pharmacy in the existing Medical Centre has already been granted. No objections were raised at the time.”

Resident Chris Chapman: “Wouldn’t it be more beneficial to get a second doctors’ surgery, as it’s so hard to get an appointment and it would be good to have a choice? What’s the point in a third pharmacy when it’s so hard to get a prescription?”

A Chichester District Council spokeswoman said: “This application is at an early stage of being processed through the council’s planning system and so no date has yet been fixed for a decision.”